HAWKESBURY RIVER

River System / The Hawkesbury River system defines the / northwestern edge of Sydney. A combination of / rivers, it was not realised until well into colonisation / that several rivers were actually the one system. / The Hawkesbury River system is approximately / 480km long and drains some 20,000square kilometres. / It begins in the Cullarin Range near Crookwell as the / Wollondilly River. The watercourse then passes / Goulburn along deep gorges in the ranges west of / Berrima and Picton until it reaches the Burragorang / Valley. The river is then joined by the Nattai River and / the Cox River as it becames known as the / Warragamba River. Near Wallacia, the river flows into / the Nepean River where it passes through Penrith and joins the Grose River. Here it finally becames the / Hawkesbury River. The Hawkesbury River journeys towards the sea, joining with the Colo and Macdonald / rivers along the way until it reaches its mouth at / Broken Bay.

Wildlife / The Hawkesbury is home to an abundance of interesting / creatures. Living along the banks, in the water or flying / overhead, if you look hard enough you'll see them. / A few of these creatures are: / Fish: / - Mullet - Snapper / - Bream - Whiting / - Flounder - Crabs / - Mulloway (Jewfish) - Squid / Birds: / - Pelican - Rainbow Lorrikeet / - White Ibis - Kookaburra / - Black Cormorant - Frogmouth Owl / - Fairy Pengiun - Black Swan / Animals and Reptiles: / - Koala - Blue Tongue Lizard / - Yellow-bellied glider - Green and Gold Bell Frog / - Wombat - Tiger Quoll / Red Belly Black Snake - Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby

Vegetation / The plant community of the Hawkesbury River is predominantly Hawkesbury Sandstone Woodland. The plants / grow on very shallow, sandy soils. Despite the poor condition of such soils, a remarkable diversity of plants have / adapted to the low nutrients, drying winds and frequent fires, creating the stunning bushland you see before you. / The river itself has its own plant community to support the vast variety of animals and fish who live below the / surface. Such plants are easily affected by increases in pollution or high recreation on the river and should be / protected. / These plants include: / Seagrasses (Felgrass and Paddleweed) / Saltmarsh / Tidal Mangroves (Grey and River Mangroves) / Tidal mangroves are now endangered in the Hawkesbury region. Grey and River Mangroves aften grow together / in intertidal, salty or brackish waters along the NSW river and creek systems. They are the homes and food source / for many river creatures e.g. oysters, zoo plankton and honey bees.

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